Will you miss not seeing the Class 1A Division II state high school basketball championships being hosted at Gross Memorial Coliseum on the campus of Fort Hays State University this year? (FHSU and KSHSAA has decided to relocate this year's tournament to Dodge City since the FHSU women have the possibility of hosting an NCAA Division II regional tourney.)

National Engineers Week is Feb. 17 to 23. If you know of someone who is an engineer, please thank them for the great impacts they have on our society. As president of the Kansas Society of Professional Engineers, I am proud to represent a profession that is all too often taken for granted.

Please keep the following in mind as you go about your daily routines.

A mechanical engineer was responsible for the clean drinking water you enjoy daily. The electricity we depend on to power our homes and workplaces was provided through the efforts of an electrical engineer. Civil engineers designed the transportation infrastructure that is so vital to our economy and livelihood. Chemical engineers have improved the fuels used in motorized vehicles to improve efficiency and the environment. Biomedical engineers develop medical technology that helps save lives.

There are so many more disciplines of engineering that greatly impact our society. Engineers touch our lives in so many ways. As we celebrate our great profession this week, please appreciate the commitment of the men and women in our industry who have taken the oath to protect and improve the health and well-being of our society.